Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

Cover Up Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 7, 2015

1949’s “Cover Up” was sold as a heated noir, with leathery men, a smoking gun, and a blazing dame on the original poster, promising a vigorous display of crime and assorted sins. The picture isn’t anywhere near those standards of escapism, but it’s an interesting mystery from director Alfred E. Green, who captures the askew dramatic drive of the screenplay, which provides a new identity for the standard detective tale. In “Cover Up,” an insurance man (played by Dennis O’Keefe) is the protagonist, using his history with fraud to pry open an unusual case of murder in small town U.S.A. I’m not sure a premise like this could even work in 2015.

The hero, Sam, brushes up against the local police, with Sheriff Best (William Bendix) urging the outsider to return to where he came from, unwilling to help explore the details surrounding a local man’s alleged suicide. Tempers are tested, but tenacity wins out, with Sam working his gifts with people and particulars to uncover a larger portrait of troublemaking, inching his way toward concrete answers. Assisting is Anita (Barbara Britton), a young woman returning home for Christmas, with Sam displaying instant attraction to his train companion, eventually coming to use her knowledge of the town to shatter the intentional silence. Acting is secure and direct, giving some punch to what becomes a heaping helping of exposition, picking up the screenplay when it begins to drag in the second half, taking its time to arrive at a conclusion, helping to beef up the picture to a proper run time.

Cover Up Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.37:1 aspect ratio) presentation presents "Cover Up" with an adequate amount of detail for period cinematography, capturing subtle facial reactions and a sense of location, finding set decoration accessible. Black and white balance is acceptable, with secure delineation for heavier costumes and low-lit encounters. Print shows some fatigue, with speckling and scratches, along with a harsh reel change. A few bursts of noise were detected throughout the viewing experience.

Cover Up Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix registers on the quiet side, with a general twirling of the volume knob required to bring up the track to an acceptable level of engagement. Dialogue exchanges, once elevated, provide the requisite range of dramatic delivery, without crispy highs. Scoring is accurate, providing intended musical energy with some sense of definition. Hiss is extremely prominent during the listening event.

Cover Up Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplementary material on this disc.

Cover Up Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Cover Up" isn't the fastest paced picture around, taking its time to reach an intricate conclusion. The whodunit aspects of the script aren't triumphant, but the viewing experience is saved by the cast, who commit to the exploratory and confrontational tone of the movie, providing some sense of unease to a dry effort. "Cover Up" doesn't have a level of style to bring it to life, but it retains a personality, working through an American crime one clue at a time, enjoying its sense of discovery as the main character makes his way to the truth.